Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Three: Engineer Captain G. E. Andrew, C.B., Royal Navy, a veteran of the Falklands Islands 1914

1914-15 Star (Eng. Commr. G. E. Andrew, R.N.); British War and Victory Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf (Eng. Commr. G. E. Andrew, R.N.), mounted as worn, in an old Spink & Son case with a set of related dress miniature medals, including an Order of the Bath badge in gold, and clasp ‘Falkland Islands 8 Dec. ‘14’ on the British War Medal, generally good very fine (7) £400-500

George Edward Andrew was born in November 1869 in Swindon, where he trained as a Mechanical Engineer at the Great Western Railway’s works after attending the Kaiser Friederich Wilhelm University in Berlin, so, too, at Earles Shipbuilding Company, Hull. Entering the Royal Navy as an Assistant Engineer in 1892, he enjoyed a number of seagoing appointments in the lead-up to the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914, in addition to appointments at Glasgow, Newcastle and Devonport and, on the back of his earlier experiences in Berlin, a stint of ‘special service in Germany’.

But undoubtedly the highlight of his career was his time aboard the cruiser H.M.S. Kent, in which ship he was present in Admiral Sturdee’s victory off the Falkland Islands in December 1914, when the Kent’s speed was worked up to 25 knots and, ‘owing to the excellent and strenuous efforts of the engine-room department, the Kent was able to get within range of the Nurnberg at 5 p.m.’ - better still, from 3,000 yards range, she smothered her adversary in lyddite and common shell and reduced her to a burning wreck. Moreover, the Dresden having escaped the scene of battle, Kent and Glasgow caught up with her off Juan Fernandez Island on 15 March 1915 and accorded her a similar fate.

Mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 3 March 1915 refers) and awarded the C.B. (London Gazette 1 January 1916 refers), Andrew served as an Engineer-Manager at H.M. Dockyard Chatham 1916-19, when he was placed on the Retired List. He settled in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight and died in November 1945.